Women's Recreational Bikes

For open road adventures - big and small

Recreational cycling can be anything from a jaunt out for a pub lunch to a globetrotting cycle tour. As a result, this category spans a diverse range of bikes. What these trips have in common is that they are done for pleasure, not for work or competition - there is no 'must' involved.

Most of the bikes here will be 'hybrids' of some sort, in that they sit on a continuum between fast and light performance bikes and slow and steady utility bikes. If you are looking to own just one bike and therefore seeking a jack of all trades - perhaps combining commuting with some leisure rides, then you'll probably end up with one of these.

At the perfomance end, these bikes will be very light, with a more forward and sporty riding position (sports hybrids). As befits a more sporty bike, most, but not all of these bikes will be un-equipped, though you can still opt to fit parts such as rack and mudguards as extras. Most of these will feature a 'women's geometry' - that is bikes that are proportioned to fit women's, rather than men's bodies, but will still have a crossbar. However, proportionate geometry generally assumes longer legs relative to a shorter torso, which might not always be the case. If you don't fit that description, try a 'standard' version if it exists. The Cannondale Quick come in both variants.

At the utility end of the spectrum, the bikes will be better equipped and more upright (comfort hybrids) - with some virtually indistinguisable from town bikes - except that these have derailleur rather than hub gears. Derailleurs have the advantage of being lighter and offering much wider ratios, allowing you to tackle much steeper hills and to pedal harder on the flat, which suits the more diverse terrain that you are likely to encounter on the open road. These comfort models usually feature the tradtional 'women's' frames with a step through design or a lowered or 'dropped' crossbar.